Slicer



w. H. LEUZE Aug. 1, 1961 SLICER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 28, 1960 INVENTOR W/LuAM H. LEUZE,

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ATTOEN EVS.

W. H. LEUZE Aug. 1, 1961 SLICER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1960 Ea. Z

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JNVENTOR. VV/LL/AM A LEUZE,

ATTO EN EVS United States Patent 2,994,355 SLICER William H. Leuze, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Triumph Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of ()hio Filed Apr. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 25,316 7 Claims. (Cl. 146--115) This invention resides in a novel slicer which can be assembled and taken apart without the use of nuts and bolts and the like, the parts of which, however, are positively locked together in assembled position.

Although the slicer may have general application, a primary object of the invention is to provide a slicer for slicing food under the most sanitary conditions.

An important object of the invention is to provide a construction which permits complete disassembly and assembly of the unit, without the use of tools or imp-lements, for purpose of fast, easy and frequent cleaning in the interest of better sanitation.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate screws and bolts from the slicer so that there are no areas of this type in which food may accumulate and decay.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which drawings like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the slicer in its assembled condition,

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the latch mechanism,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view, with parts broken away, showing a portion of the hinge mechanism,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation of the hinge mechanism for the pusher plate,

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation of the slicer,

FIGURE 7 is a front elevation of the slicer with the hopper front removed, and

FIGURE 8 is an exploded view of the slicer showing its various parts and indicating how they are assembled together.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 the main housing of the slicer is generally indicated at 10. A one piece hopper and tubular front is generally indicated at 11. A portion of the pusher plate mechanism is shown at 12 and the positive latch mechanism is indicated at 13. The hopper front 11 includes a deep throat tube 14 which is integral therewith. The hopper itself is indicated at 1111. The hopper front 11, hopper 11a and tube 14 form one piece with no loose parts.

Referring also to FIGURE 8 it will be observed that the pusher plate mechanism includes the plate proper 120. As also shown in this figure the housing includes a pair of lugs 15 having upstanding pins 16-. The hopper front 11 has a pair of corresponding lugs 17 provided with holes to receive the pins 16. A notch 17a is formed beneath the hopper lug 17. When the hopper front is swung to its closed position, the notch 17a receives the upper lug 15. The engagement of the upper lug 15 in the notch 17a prevents the hopper front 11 from being lifted from the housing 10.

The positive latch mechanism 13 for maintaining the hopper front 11 in closed positon on the housing 10 is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3. The latch bolt 13 has a bearing surface 21 (see FIGURE 8), a stem 22 of lesser diameter and a latch 23 which would normally be of substantially the same diameter as the bearing portion 21 but which is provided with a flat 24. The latch 2,994,355 Patented Aug. 1, 1961 bolt 13 includes a handle 25. The hopper front 11 has a portion 26 integral therewith but which is machined to provide a close tolerance for the latch portion 2324. The main housing 10 has a projection 27 with a bore 28 to receive the bearing portion 21 of the latch mechanism 13. A shoulder 29 on the latch mechanism 13 abuts the projection 27 when the hopper front 11 is locked to the housing 10 by this mechanism.

It will be apparent that when the latch mechanism 13 is in the position shown in FIGURE 3, with the handle 25 extending upwardly, the hopper front 11 may be brought flush against the housing 10 whereafter the handle 25 is rotated to the position of FIGURE 1 and the latch portion 23 will engage the member 26 and lock the hopper front 11 to the housing 10. Upon rotation of the handle 25 to the position of FIGURE 3 the member 26 can clear the flat 24 and the hopper front 11 may be swung to open position.

The pusher plate mechanism 12 is also assembled without the use of nuts and bolts. As best seen in FIGURES 4 and 8 this member 12 includes as an integral part thereof a rod 30 having a pair of notches 31 cut therein. An enlarged bearing portion 32 surrounds the rod 30 between the notches 31. The pusher plate extends from this hearing portion 32. The hopper front 11 has a pair of upstanding ears 33 with a flat throat or slot 34 leading to an arcuate socket 35 (see FIGURE 2).

In assembling the pusher plate mechanism 12, with the hopper front 11 in its open position with respect to the housing 10, the mechanism is oriented so that the pusher plate 12a extends upwardly. The plate mechanism 12 is then dropped into position so that the notched rod 30 engages the arcuate socket 35 provided in the ears 33 on the hopper front 11. The pusher plate 12a is then moved to the right so that the notches or flats 31 are located to the right side of their respective ears 33 as viewed in FIGURE 4. The pusher plate 12a is then rotated to its lowest position as illustrated in FIGURE 1. When the hopper front 11 is then closed and latched as shown in FIGURE 1, the pin 19 extends alongside one end of the bearing 32, thus preventing removal of the pusher plate mechanism 12 while the hopper front 111s in its closed position. In this manner the pusher plate is retained in operating position when the hopper front is closed.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 2 and 8 the slicing mechanism will be described. The main housing 10 has a bracket 36 integral therewith and a bearing 37 in which there is mounted a bearing sleeve 38. The circular blade 39 is fixed on a dog 46 which is fixed to the shaft 41. This shaft extends through the bearing sleeve 38 and has means 42 to be received in suitable drive mechanism not shown. A suitable bearing 43 fixed in the hopper front 11 engages the end of the shaft 41, when the hopper front 11 is closed, and holds the slicer shaft 41 against axial movement. The position of the blade 39 on the dog 40 may be changed so that when the blade is dulled in one position it may be rotated to another position to present a new cutting edge. The blade is fixed to the dog 40 by means of a small screw 44.

A slicer plate 45 is slideable on the shaft 41. This plate has a hub 46 and a circular opening 47 to receive the circular slicer blade 39. Slideably keyed on the bearing sleeve 38 is a member 48 grooved to receive an O-ring 49 and threaded to receive an adjustment member 50. The member 48 is graduated to indicate slice thickness. The O-ring 49 is a friction device to prevent loss of slice thickness setting by vibration. When one rotates the adjustment member 50 the member 48 is caused to slide on the bearing sleeve 38 and, since the member 48 abuts the hub of the slicer plate 45, the respective position of this slicer plate 45 on the shaft 41 is changed. This in 3 turn changes the position of the cutting edge of the slicer blade 39 with the left hand face of the slicer plate, as viewed in FIGURE 2. The slicer blade 39 extends from within the opening 47 of the slicer plate beyond the face of-this plate 45. Thus, a change in the position of the slicer plate with respect to the blade 39 fixed on the end of shaft 41, efiects a change in the thickness of the slice to be cut from material forced by the pusher plate 12a against this slicer plate 45.

In operation, food is placed either in the hopper 11a or in the tube 14. When the hopper 11a is used the pusher plate 12a is first moved out of the way and food placed within the hopper 11a whereafiter this food is forced against the slicer plate 45 by means of the pusher plate 120 as controlled by the operator. As the shaft 41 is driven the plate 45 and slicer blade 39 rotate together, an edge of the blade 39 extending from the plate 45 a distance which can be regulated by means of the members 48 and 50 as previously explained. When it is desired to slice elongated objects such as, for example, carrots, these are simply pushed through the tube 14. The sliced material falls through the housing 10 as indicated at 51 and may be collected in any suitable container. The sliced material falls in back of the blade 39 through the opening 47 in the slicer plate 45.

It is to be understood that while the invention has been shown in one embodiment in FIGURES 1-8, modificasaid from terminating adjacent said slicer plate, a pusher plate for said hopper whereby to force material in said hopper against said slicer plate for engagement with said slicer blade, socket meanson said hopper front, means on said pusher plate to be received in said socket means, a hingejoint for said hopper front and said housing comprising cooperating stationary male and female members, and a removable latch hold: for locking said hopper front against swinging movementwith respect to said housing.

2. The slicer of claim 1 including an abutment on said hopper front toengage beneath a portion of said housing whensaid hopper front is locked to said housing, whereby to prevent lifting of said hopper front from said hous 3.. The slicer of claim 1 in which means are provided for changing, the position of said blade on said shaft, whereby to present a new cutting edge as desired.

4. The slicer of claim 1 including plate adjustment means comprising a first member slideable on said shaft and against which member said plate abuts, and a second memberthreaded on said first member, said first member 7 being fixed against rotation, whereby rotation of said sections may be made without departing from the scope and 1. A slicer comprising a housing, said housing having a bearing, a shaft slideable in said bearing, means on said shaft to engage means for rotating said shaft, a slicer blade fixed on said shaft, a slicer plate slideable on said shaft and rotatable therewith, said slicer plate having an opening to receive said slicer blade, said blade extending from within said opening beyond the face of said plate whereby material cut by said blade passes between said blade and said plate and through said opening, a hopper front, means on said hopper front to engage-said shaft and prevent axial movement of said shaft, a hopper on ond member slides said first member on said shaft.

5 The slicer of claim 1 in which a bearing for said latch bolt is provided on said housing, said bolt being manually slideable and rotatable in said bearing, said bolt having a member to engage said hopper front, said last mentioned member being provided with a portion to c'lear'said hopper front when said bolt is rotated, whereby the bolt may be manually removed by sliding it through said bearing." t

6. The slicer of claim 1 including a bearing on said pusher plate, and an'abutment on said housing, said abutupon manual rotation of said pusher plate.

References Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v 1,548,042 Johnston et al. Aug. 4, 1925 1,983,666.. Hoe Dec. 11, 1934 2,807,302 Qualheim Sept, 24, 1957 

